George M. O’Brien Urology Cooperative Research Centers and the Urology Centers Interactions Core

May 2024 Council

Lead Division/Office

KUH

Point(s) of Contact

Deepak Nihalani, Ph.D.; Chris Mullins, Ph.D.

Executive Summary

This concept seeks support for continuation of the NIDDK George M. O’Brien Urology Cooperative Research Centers (U54) and the Urology Centers Interactions Core (U24). The Urology Cooperative Research Centers foster impactful, multi-disciplinary research through diverse collaborations within and outside the Centers and serve as a national resource for the urology research community. The Interactions Core supports these efforts through coordinating the Urology Cooperative Research Centers, the urology P20 Centers, and urology Institutional Career Development (K12) Programs, as well as the broader urology community, all under the umbrella of the Collaborating for the Advancement of Interdisciplinary Research in Benign Urology (CAIRIBU) effort. In addition, the Interactions Core will serve as the hub for a CAIRIBU Opportunity Pool Program and additional travel, and research awards designed to support emerging scientists, including NIH defined ESIs (early stage investigators) and investigators new to the field of urology. All efforts will address the overall goal of improving prevention and clinical management of benign (non-cancer) genitourinary disorders through research excellence, enhanced sharing of resources and access to core services, and establishment of a robust research community trained to address the Nation’s biomedical research needs for urologic disorders within the NIDDK’s mission.